have been so much upset to-day that
the exercise will do me good. I will have the light coat from my bedroom."

For a moment the shock of relief was so great that she almost lost
consciousness. A moment or two later she heard the Professor leave the
house. Very cautiously she stole out from her hiding place. The hall was
empty. She crossed it with noiseless footsteps, slipped into the study and
moved stealthily to the fireplace. There was a little heap of ashes in one
distinct spot. She gathered them up in her handkerchief and secreted it in
her dress. Then she moved hurriedly towards the door and stepped quietly
behind the curtain. She stood there listening intently. Craig was doing
something in the hall. Even while she was hesitating, the door was opened.
He came in and moved towards his master's table. Through a chink in the
curtain she could see that he was stooping down, collecting some letters.
She stole out, ran down the hall, opened the front door and hastened down
the avenue. Her heart was beating quickly. The front door handle had
slipped from her fingers, and it seemed to her that she could hear even
now the slam with which it had swung to. At the gates she looked back.
There were no signs of life. The house still bore its customary
appearance, gloomy and deserted. With a sigh of relief, she hailed a
taxicab and sank back into the corner.

She found Laura waiting for her, and a few minutes afterwards the two
girls were examining the ashes with the aid of Quest's microscope. Among
the little pile was one fragment at the sight of which they both
exclaimed. It was distinctly a shred of charred muslin embroidery. Lenora
pointed towards it triumphantly.

"Isn't that evidence?" she demanded. "Let's ring up Inspector French!"

Laura shook her head doubtfully.

"Not so fast," she advised. "French is a good sort in his way, but he's
prejudiced just now against the boss. I'm not sure that this evidence
would go far by itself."

"It's evidence enough for us to go for Craig, though! What we have got to
do is to get a confession out of him, somehow!"

Laura studied her companion, for a moment, curiously.

"Taking some interest in Mr. Quest, kid, ain't you?"

Lenora looked up. Then her head suddenly sank into her hands. She knew
quite well that her secret had escaped her. Laura patted her shoulder.

"That's all right, child," she said soothingly. "We'll see him through
this, somehow or other."

"You don't mind?